Attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents adult film star Stormy Daniels in her legal battles with U.S. President Donald Trump, was arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday on suspicion of domestic violence.
Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Jeff Lee said no further details were immediately available, but he said Avenatti was released on bail after he was formally booked in the case.
TMZ, which broke the news of Avenatti’s arrest, reported that it stemmed from a physical confrontation between him and a woman at an apartment building Tuesday night in the Century City district of Los Angeles.
Avenatti, who has indicated that he might run for president in 2020 as a Democrat, denied wrongdoing in a statement issued through his law firm and in a statement to reporters outside the LAPD West Los Angeles police station following his release.
“I have never struck a woman. I never will strike a woman. I’ve been an advocate for women’s rights my entire career,” he said, adding that he would never “disrespect” his two daughters “by touching a woman inappropriately or striking a woman.”
In the statement from his law office, he said, “I have never been physically abusive in my life, nor was I last night. Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation.”
